He had reportedly consumed two bottles of wine and more than 1.8 litres of beer over six hours on the night before the flight. The legal limit for a pilot is 20 mg.

Jitsukawa admitted to the improper conduct at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in west London on Thursday and will remain in custody until he is sentenced on November 29.

"The company sincerely apologises to the passengers and to all affected by the employee's actions", JAL said in a press release. The airline said "safety remains our utmost priority" and it will "implement immediate actions to prevent any future occurrence".

The apology came a day after another major Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways, apologised for causing delays to five domestic flights after a pilot became unwell due to heavy drinking the night before.

The almost 12-hour flight from London to Tokyo normally has two captains and a co-pilot.

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